Ramesses VI
Ramesses VI was a pharaoh who ruled Egypt during the 20th dynasty from 1145-1137 BC. He was the absolute ruler of Egypt at the time of his reign. He was considered to be both a religious and political leader; worshiped as a deity. Born as Amankhirkhopshef, Ramesses VI changed his name during his time as the ruler of Egypt. His grandfather, Ramesses III was famous for defending Egypt in three significant battles against foreign invaders. Ramesses III was then assassinated in an attempt to over throw the regime. During Ramesses VI time as ruler the power of the pharaohs continued to decrease as the power of the wealthy Amun priesthood increased.The dependence of food and finance with other countries became highly dependent on the priesthood of Amun. In an effort to reduce the power of the priesthood, Ramesses introduced his daughter to the priesthood with a role as God's wife of Amun. In military matters, Ramesses VI also brought stability to Egypt after fighting off Syrian invaders in Thebes. Mummification Mummification started to become a significant process in Egypt after the mythical story of Isis and Osiris. Osiris and Isis were the first rulers of the Egyptian kingdom, They were given the land shortly after the world was created. Osiris allowed mortal men to live in harmony and balance. His older brother Set grew jealous of Osiris's accomplishments; so he murdered him and hacked his body parts casting them all across the world. With Isis' growing grief for Osiris, she journeyed around the world to retrieve Osiris' body parts. With the help of her sister Nephthys, Osiris's body was reconstructed and his soul was re infused into his body allowing him to live a second life. In the culture of ancient Egyptians, mummification was thought to be a process of preparation and preservation of the human body for the after life. They believed that in order to have an after life, the soul must reposes the same body and in order for that to occur, the body must be recognizable and distinguishable from other's. Process of mummification in Ancient Egyptian Culture. The mummification process starts with a priest known as the chief embalmer who wears the mask of Anubis - symbolizing the god of death. Firstly, a hook is inserted through the nose to pull out parts of the brain from the body, then a cut is made on the left side of the body near the stomach to remove all internal organs. After the organs have dried, they are placed inside of jars - all except for the heart. The heart is placed back inside the body. Wine and herbal spices are then used to cleanse the body. After the body is cleansed, it is then submerged in natron (salt) for 70 days. The the body is then stuffed with linen to give it a more human shape. It is then wrapped with bandages from head to toe. A picture of the god Osiris is painted on the outside of the warped body and then the body is placed inside of a coffin. Tomb Of Ramesses VI Mummy Specifications The mummy of Ramesses VI was firstly discovered in tomb KV35. Unfortunately, it was severely damaged by other tomb scavengers and robbers. When the mummy was unwrapped, the body parts were highly disarrayed. The right forearm and right wrist of Ramesses VI had also been chopped off prior to its discovery. A piercing was also found on the skull of the mummy which was similar to other piercings found on the skulls of Ramesses V, Ramesses IV, Merenptah and Seti II. Specialists speculate that the remains of Ramesses VI were targeted by the ancient Egyptians because he may have been a non legitimate heir to the throne. This was brought up solely due to an undated papyrus which hints at a civil war that occurred during the kings accession. Specialists also admit that this theory is purely due to speculation. Burial Tomb Ramesses VI was originally buried in the KV9 tomb located in the Valley Of Kings. His tomb is very different from most of the other royal tombs. Ramesses VI took the throne after a period of economic decline in Egypt. Although it was very large his tomb was highly simplistic. Many of the graffiti's were also written in Greek, Coptic and Latin over the tombs . References http://www.historyembalmed.org/egyptian-pharaohs/ramses-vi.htm https://www.ancient.eu/article/44/mummification-in-ancient-egypt/ http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/sites/browse_tomb_823.html http://anubis4_2000.tripod.com/mummypages2/20A.htm Category:Egyptian Mummies